LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION recognizing the 300th Anniversary of Sarah Wells'
arrival to the Wawayanda Patent in Orange County

WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to commemorate those
events of historical significance which add strength, vigor and inspira-
tion to the cultural diversity and quality of life in the communities of
the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to recognize
the 300th Anniversary of Sarah Wells' arrival to the Wawayanda Patent in
Orange County; and
WHEREAS, To recognize the 300th Anniversary of Sarah Wells' arrival to
the Wawayanda Patent, numerous events have been planned this year
including The Sarah Wells Tricentennial Reception, which was held on
February 23, 2012, Sarah Wells Day on May 19, 2012, and a Running With
the Bulls 5k walk/run is scheduled for September 22, 2012; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Wells, the first woman to have settled on the Wawayanda
Patent which included parts of what is now Orange County, New York, was
born on April 6, 1694, and later orphaned; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Wells was a young indentured servant to Christopher and
Elizabeth Denn; Mr. Denn asked Sarah Wells to sail up the Hudson River
to settle his portion of the Wawayanda Patent; and
WHEREAS, In May of 1712, at the age of 18, Sarah Wells sailed on a
sloop from New York City with two carpenters, three Indian guides, and
enough provisions to establish a home on the Otterkill, near what would
become Goshen, New York, with the promise of 100 acres to be given to
her; and
WHEREAS, Accompanied by her Indian guides and carpenters, Sarah Wells
landed in what is now New Windsor, New York, and ventured inland with
horses, cows, dogs, and household equipment; and
WHEREAS, Hard work and a formidable character allowed Sarah Wells to
survive the unsettled and wild territory of the time; and
WHEREAS, On August 25, 1718, Sarah Wells married William Bull, a
stonemason, the first recorded wedding in the Township of Goshen, and
together they raised 12 children; and
WHEREAS, William Bull built the 1722 Bull Stone House and named his
homestead Hamptonburgh in honor of his birthplace in Wolverhampton,
England; and
WHEREAS, Sarah Wells died on April 21, 1796, at the age of 102; she is
buried at Hamptonburgh Cemetery in Campbell Hall, New York; and
WHEREAS, At the time of her death, there were 335 descendants of Sarah
and William Bull; today there are more than 65,000 names in the Bull
Family genealogy; and
WHEREAS, To this day, throughout Orange County, there are still many
physical connections to Sarah Wells and William Bull, including road and
street names and towns and buildings; and
WHEREAS, Two of the earliest buildings with connections to Sarah Wells
are the 1722 Bull Stone House, which has been continually inhabited by a
Bull family member since this time, and the New World Dutch Barn on the
original Bull property in Hamptonburgh, New York; and
WHEREAS, The Sarah Wells Trail is a main road that connects Goshen to
Washingtonville, most likely a path well worn by Sarah Wells herself;
moreover, Bullville, New York, and Thomas Bull Memorial Park are all
part of the Sarah Wells and William Bull legacy; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is pleased to have this opportunity to
express its highest admiration for Sarah Wells, her family and the
William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association, Inc., as well as

all the individuals who have worked to bring proper attention to a
person, place and time which merits recognition in the grand panorama of
the history of our State and Nation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
recognize the 300th Anniversary of Sarah Wells' arrival to the Wawayanda
Patent in Orange County; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the William Bull and Sarah Wells Stone House Association,
Inc., Campbell Hall, New York.